Written by Anne Rumpf: Ahhh… as the swallows return to Capistrano, the bees to the nest, and Jason to Crystal Lake…so the beginning of vacation time is upon us and people who travel once a year are back …Mom, Pop, Sis and the family pet will be joining us in the friendly skies. They of course didn’t get the memo that we are in the age of high-alert travel that means they will have to strip down just to walk into the airport, all the while keeping their liquids in a plastic bag.

This will definitely slow you down – the travel pro…who can strip, place your laptop into a plastic bin while showing twelve forms of ID along with your boarding pass. (And unlike Animal Planet there are no predators to thin them out.) So take a few cleansing breaths while imaging your happy place and we’ll continue our ways to keep your sanity and shoes on the road…

So in Part 1, I talked about some smart steps to help keep you away from the crowd. In this post I’ll tackle how to deal with the crowds if you find yourself surrounded in spite of your efforts. And now the “dealing with it tips” …

Take a time out. It doesn’t matter how old you are, sometimes we all need a little time away so to speak. Consider counting to 10 before you react to a situation. This may not address the anger directly, but it can check your motor functions; after all you’ve been through if you can still count in sequence you are doing OK.

Games… You can make a game out of any situation…spot the wackiest family…10 points for the teenager that grunts the most at their parents…5 points for every child or teenager wearing flip flops…50 points if they are wearing real shoes…20 points for the parents who book their children in the seats furthest from themselves…you get the idea.

Smile… It’s hard to stay mad or work yourself up more with a smile on your face. It is the law of physics –just kidding. Smiling forces you to relax the muscles in your face.

Find something to distract yourself. The family with three kids under 5 aren’t really there to try your patience (or so they pretend) as they make their way through the line. Instead of cursing them out, focus on how cute the kids are; which parents they resemble…do they look like kids who lay under their beds in the dark playing Grand Theft Auto chuckling to themselves or talking to their imaginary friend?

Keep your perspective. Ask yourself this question: “Will the object of my anger matter ten years from now?” Chances are they will (kidding), but you will seem calmer to other people.

Walk away… if you are confronted by someone whose anger is out of control. (They obviously did not read my tips.) Seriously, it is often best not to engage the other person in a manner that’s likely to provoke an escalation in their behavior no matter how tempting it might be. (Then report them to airport security as drug smugglers hopped up on some crazy mushrooms – again just kidding.)

So we come to the end of these tips on surviving this hectic travel season – second only to Thanksgiving and Christmas in terms of working through the crowds. We’ll deal with those later in the year. As always, I welcome your tips, suggestions and feedback – so write to me at anne@wejetset.com. Travel safely and practice serenity now…